Your Questions About The Queen’s Funeral Answered | CBC News

As the Royal Family and British Government finalize plans for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on September 19, her coffin arrived in London on Tuesday. Up to a million Britons and other royal fans from around the world are expected to queue at Westminster Hall this week to bid Britain’s longest reigning monarch goodbye.

We’ll answer your questions on what to look out for in the coming days – and how you can get involved in the Queen’s memory.

What happens while the Queen is in state?

From Wednesday to Monday, the closed coffin of the Queen will rest on a raised platform in the UK Parliament’s Westminster Hall. The public can visit 24 hours a day to pay their respects and massive line-ups are expected – people may have to wait in a five-mile line for up to 20 hours to get through the door, The Times reports. No chairs or blankets are allowed in the line to ensure it flows as quickly as possible.

The UK government says those hoping to pay their respects will be met with “airport-style security”, and the long list of rules also includes prohibitions on taking photos, wearing clothing with political slogans, or leaving flowers or other tributes.

What is special about the Queen’s coffin?

The Queen’s English oak coffin was erected some 30 years ago along with a coffin for her late husband, Prince Philip. This was announced by the London undertaker Leverton & Sons of the Times in 2018.

Following a centuries-old royal family tradition, the Queen’s coffin is lined with lead, preventing a body from decomposing for any length of time. The lead also makes the coffin significantly heavier, that is eight pallbearers are needed to carry it.

While it lies in state, it is draped with the standard royal flag, with the imperial state crown and the sovereign’s orb and scepter placed upon it.

What happens during the funeral?

The Queen’s state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday. It is the first time a monarch’s funeral has been held there since 1760, although funerals for the Queen Mother and Princess Diana were held at the abbey in 2002 and 1997 respectively.

At 10:44 a.m. local time (5:44 a.m. ET), the procession of coffins from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey begins. It will be transported on a gun carriage pulled by naval sailors, with senior members of the royal family expected to follow on foot.

The funeral service begins at 11 a.m. local time and lasts one hour. The exact details of what will take place are yet to be confirmed by Buckingham Palace, including whether the Queen has made any special requests.

“I expect a grandchild will say something, maybe a poem, something that will personalize it a bit,” said royal commentator Bonnie Brownlee. “We could expect some surprises if they decide to change it up a bit, like maybe a thing or two that’s quite emotional in the service, but … I think they’re going to leave a lot of that to just family knows.” [in advance].”

It is the first time the public has been able to see a monarch’s funeral service. Although the funeral procession of King George VI. televised in 1952, cameras were barred from the service itself.

“We’re going to see rituals on television for the first time that go back to the Tudors and the Stuarts of the 15th and 16th centuries,” said Justin Vovk, an expert in royal history and a graduate student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

“[The royals] I want that sense of an ongoing institution that remains unchanged over time in terms of stability, and that’s what consistent rituals do at a funeral.

Who will attend the funeral?

Members of the Royal Family and dignitaries from around the world will be in attendance, although it is not clear if the Queen’s youngest great-grandchildren will attend. As Westminster Abbey has a maximum capacity of 2,200 people, the government has told other countries that only its leader, plus his spouse or other dignitary, can attend.

Ralph Goodale, Canada’s High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, told The Canadian Press that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor-General Mary Simon would attend. US President Joe Biden will attend the funeral with his wife Jill, while the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand will be joined by their countries’ Governors-General.

Foreign royalty, politicians and other VIPs have been asked to take commercial flights instead of private jets and have been told they will be put on buses to Westminster Abbey. according to documents reported by Politico, although it’s not clear how many dignitaries will follow those requests. A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Liz Truss told The Guardian “Provisions for different leaders will vary.”

Where is the Queen buried?

After Monday’s funeral, another procession will carry the Queen’s coffin from Westminster Abbey to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, where she will be buried the memorial chapel of King George VI alongside her parents, sister Princess Margaret and husband Prince Philip during a private service for members of the royal family.

How can I see the funeral?

CBC will be televised live Monday on CBC News Network, CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBCNews.ca and the CBC News App, and on CBC Radio and the CBC Listen App.

Do Canadians get leave for funerals?

Monday is a public holiday for Canadians.

If the provinces and territories don’t join the plan, only federal employees will be put off work – similar to how Memorial Day is observed.

That United Kingdom also declared the day a public holiday while Australia has announced a public holiday to coincide with his day of mourning on September 22, and New Zealand will make September 26th a one-time national holiday.

How can I sign a book of condolence?

The Canadian government is open an online condolence book. There is also a physical book of condolences at Rideau Hall in Ottawa for the public to sign from 9am to 7pm ET. people elsewhere in the country should contact their local protocol office for locations of other books of condolence.

Will we find out the Queen’s cause of death?

It’s unclear if the Queen’s cause of death will be made public as Buckingham Palace is notoriously confidential about the health of the royals. In the Queen’s later years, the palace cited “mobility issues” as the reason she skipped a series of public events, without giving further details. When exactly she died was also not revealed.

“As it has taken some time for the public to find out how the Queen’s father died, there is likely to be a delay, perhaps by weeks, months or even years,” said Sarika Bose, a royal expert and lecturer in Victorian literature at the University of British Columbia.

What will happen to the Queen’s possessions?

Many of the Queen’s personal assets, the Forbes estimates worth about US$500 million (Cdn649 million) are expected to be passed on to King Charles, following a tradition in which monarchs bequeathed possessions to their successor.

Brownlee believes the Queen left jewelry to her daughter, Princess Anne, and her granddaughters, although details of royal wills are always a closely guarded secret.

“It’s more likely to show up and you’ll see it [someone wearing an item], unless some of them actually decide to talk about it. I’m sure there were personal items for all the grandkids, especially the women – earrings, bracelets and things like that.”

Charles has already inherited the Queen’s private properties, including Balmoral Castle and Sandringham Estateas well as The Crown Estate, an independent organization that is one of Britain’s largest landowners and owners of Buckingham and Kensington Palaces. He is exempt from paying inheritance tax on anything passed “from sovereign to sovereign”.

It is unclear when King Charles and his wife Camilla will move from their current residence at Clarence House to Buckingham Palace. Extensive renovations to improve the palace’s plumbing, heating and electrical systems are underway and are expected to continue for a number of years. It’s likely that the King and Queen Consort will occupy fewer rooms than the Queen, and some of her staff will no longer be needed, Bose said.

Two of the Queen’s corgis are cared for by her son Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. reported the BBC.

When is Karl’s coronation?

Although Charles automatically became king after his mother’s death, a coronation ceremony has yet to take place – albeit possibly not until next year.

It’s unclear how much of the normal pomp will be involved. The royals’ website describes the coronation ceremony as an “occasion for pageantry and celebration,” but as the Britain is facing a livelihood crisis With many potentially struggling to pay their electricity bills this winter, the royal family will likely be under pressure to scale back events.